Viva, Las Vegas, day 3 - I danced

Another late sleep gave way to a lunch at Thomas Keller's Bouchon in the Venetian. A friend of Sarah's joined us, and after a half hour wait we were sitting in a lovely booth. We all enjoyed our food greatly, with Keller's justly renowned pommes frites reminding me that even common dishes can achieve greatness. My Wagyu burger was superb, as were the "Bouchons," three miniature chocolate cakes, each with a different bit of ice cream atop them.

After some time and a movie (Superbad) in our room, we headed out to a gelato snack at Bellagio and our second Cirque show, O. Tonight marked the fifth (I think; I may be off a bit) time I've seen it, and every time it has been glorious. I watched the entire show with a slight smile on my face and magic and wonder filling my heart. I know it's all scripted, and I know they do it ten times a week, week in and week out, but it's still proof of the magic and joy the human heart can feel and human endeavor can produce. We sat in the front row, and we were mesmerized.

An amazing thing also happened. One of the clowns came into the audience and beckoned me to join him onstage. I did. He put out his hands, and I took them, and we danced. In front of 1,800 people, with a man in a clown suit, I danced--and I was not self-conscious for even an instance. I was amazed afterward, but in the moment I was fully present. As a person who's almost always observing, even narrating himself, I'm astonished at how fully immersed I was. Amazing.

Recent recommendations

In no particular order, here are bits of media I commend to your attention. I'm sure I've mentioned some of them previously, but I felt like doing a brain dump, so here you go:

Book: Black Man, Richard K. Morgan
The U.S. version bears the title Thirteen, presumably for the same reason the U.S. version of the British TV show, Spooks, bears the name, MI-5. If you don't know Morgan's work, give him a try. This one is a fine place to start, but so is Altered Carbon. Think Gibson of the Neuromancer era sharpened to a finer noir edge.

Video: Hustle
This British show won't strain your brain or teach you major life lessons, but it will keep you tracking the plot and entertain you enormously. A family favorite here.

Movie: Curse of the Golden Flower
Mara brought this over for Chinese and Chinese tonight, and it was big fun. Part court intrigue, part costume drama, and a small part martial arts flick--who could resist flying monkey men screaming down from the sky?--I enjoyed this one from start to finish. Its sets are amazingly beautiful, as is the framing of practically every shot.

Video: MI-5
I mentioned it earlier, and I've probably mentioned it here before, but for my money this is one of the best shows going. Start with the first season, and you'll quickly buy all the box sets.

CD: Stand in the Fire, Warren Zevon
I miss Zevon. The last song on his last album can tear my heart apart, but sometimes I have to listen to it anyway. This CD is a new issue of a live show that was hard to find for a very long time, and it showcases many of Zevon's best-known songs. I never got to see him live, so this is as close as I'll get. His hair was perfect.